The Nevada State Democratic Party is pulling out of a controversial presidential debate scheduled for Aug. 14 in Reno and co-hosted by Fox News, according to Democratic insiders.

The debate was being hosted by Fox News Channel and Fox News Radio, the Nevada State Democratic Party and the Western Majority Project.

A Fox spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a call for comment.(snip)The state party has been under pressure from progressive activists across the country, led by MoveOn.org, to cut its ties with the debate.

According to MoveOn, more than 265,000 people signed a petition sent to the Nevada State Democratic Party. The organization launched a website -- http://foxattacks.com/ -- as part of its campaign.

FOX News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes gave the progressive activists more ammunition on Thursday when he jokingly compared Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, to Osama bin Laden.

I have to laugh. I just got done reading a blog written by this guy who claims to be an Independent voter(kinda like Fox News saying they are fair and balanced), and he wrote a post about the Dems "backing out" of the debates that were to be held on Fox News. He went on to say how this is really going to hurt us and we have to learn how to go into debates that are willing to offer the "tough" questions in order to be viable in the Presidential election.

I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or throw up when I read this. Honestly, these Fox fans actually think they are hearing real news on that station! He also bashed MoveOn.org as causing harm to the Democratic party. I pointed out to him that MoveOn.org was a big part of the reason the Dems got out the vote in the last election and swayed many Independents and Republicans to vote Democrat in 2006.